3000 Years Before
by The.Melanarchist
Summary: Nariko and Akane both have similar plans: to take down Cruxis. But the two are a world apart. The tale of how the world was 1000 years after the Kharlan War, and 3000 years before the game/anime. Cruxis has control, but when people discover the truth, what will happen? Kratos and Yuan get caught up in the mess, rated T for language and for violence. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Hey readers! This is my first story on any fan-fiction site, and please don't stop reading just because I said that... XP This story is set about three thousand years before the first Tales of Symphonia game, so it is about 1000 years after the Kharlan War (with Kratos, Yuan, Martel, and Mithos). I created my own characters, and Cruxis has had plenty of time to get set in place, but rest assured, our favorite people who are alive at the time will make an appearance soon enough. o.O I wonder what will happen... Please read and tell me what you think! (Yes, both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla will be included!)**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the rights to ToS, but... *sighs* I JUST DON'T OKAY! So please don't sue!**

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**Chapter 1: Impossible Circumstances**

Akane picked up her sword off of its place on the training wall. She wouldn't be returning here again. Turning to face the familiar room one last time, she was strangely overcome with nostalgia. It was here where she had spent endless hours perfecting and adapting her techniques, always wishing that she could leave the creaky floorboards and battle dummies behind for a bigger adventure. Though, this was exactly what she was doing. There was nothing left for her here anyway. Everyone who she cared about could only be hurt by her presence now. Sheathing her long crisply cut iron blade at her side, she marveled at how new it still looked. It would be stained with blood soon enough, but after years of hard work, the sword still shone without a scratch. Akane always took special care of her possessions, aside from the fact that they needed to last, she had a personal philosophy that somehow what she owned reflected herself. Spending arduous time after each day training to clean her blade thoroughly was never pleasant, but it helped her order her mind.

The memories of her past sixteen years in this cramped building flooded her mind with random flashes. She shook them off, trying to snap her mind from the unexpected sadness. She never imagined such despondency would manifest itself when she finally left her childhood home. Picturing this moment a thousand times over, she had left without looking back, and she continually reminded herself that she would do just that.

Knowing that she already had spent far too long in her muddled thoughts, Akane turned to the door, an old weak oak one that moaned when it was shut. Swiftly opening it she lifted it up slightly, edging some of the weight off of its complaining hinges and shut it behind her without a sound. She learned that trick ages ago the first time she snuck out, torn between the taunts of adventure and the then frightening concept of breaking the rules. The night was the only thing that greeted her, and a cool one at that. Breezes softly set the tall grass in motion, and the full moon loomed overhead, though the stars were a much more spectacular sight as they sparkled in enormous clusters thrown across the sky.

Taking in a deep breath, Akane turned right to the immediate border of the village and the start of the wilderness. Most of the squat, low buildings to her left were dark, but a few glowed with light through the windows and she wouldn't risk saying goodbye to anyone. Not with what she had to do. Avoiding the paths, the forest that isolated the town was the best place to hide as well as escape. The woods beckoned her forward and crossing the threshold seemed symbolic, in a way. Placing a right palm on the nearest tree, she traced the whorls of the bark as her mind teetered on the brink of uncertainty. She knew that if she crossed this point, she would find the willpower to go anywhere. This was probably going to be the hardest part. Briefly shutting her eyes, she was shocked that for the first time clearing her head wouldn't work. It wouldn't make the choice easy.

Quickly looking back on her list of options, however, made her mind up for her. She took a first step onto the gnarled forest floor, so different from the gravel paths inside the village, layered with leaves and the pungent odor of pine. And walked forward silently in the dead of night.

She never looked back.

* * *

Diving under the nearest bridge, Nariko clasped her hands together to minimize the splash. Ripples would give her away in this clear, blue water. The midday sun flashed brightly on the water's surface, but below the narrow wooden planks was dark and noticeably colder. She swept the wet black locks of hair from her eyes and tried to steady her ragged breathing. She desperately had to be quiet.

Nariko kept herself as composed as she could, and hardly flinched when thundering footsteps rained down on the bridge above her. Sounding hollow and menacing, they threatened to expose her as they echoed through the base of the overpass. The footsteps stalled slightly, and Nariko was certain that her pursuers had lost track of her. Peeking up through the narrowest of slits in the old wood, she could only catch shadows passing over accompanied by softer tread. They were conversing quietly, and she couldn't decipher the murmurs above over the gentle lapping of the lake against the bridge struts. Just keep walking, she mutely implored them while holding her breath.

After a moment that felt like eternity, the footsteps receded farther across the bridge, but she didn't dare leave her safe haven until long after they were gone. Well now, they're actually pretty serious about this 'disavowing' thing! Nariko ruminated in silence. To be truthful, it didn't surprise her much. The idea was quite a change from her easy lifestyle, though. Judging that enough time had passed, Nariko shifted from her stony immobility and swam to the edge of the water. People bustled to and fro across the bridges and minded their own business, completely ignoring her. What she really loved about Luin was that you could just walk straight out of the water, soaking wet, and into town without anyone giving you a second glance. The double-swords sheathed at her belt were damp, causing their familiar weight to increase slightly. She hated when her weapons got wet.

Though she was dripping, Nariko made way for one of the town's entrances. She found herself caught at a fork of three bridges branching to all sectors of the city. She considered her odds. It was doubtful that the Church of Martel had already dispatched enough guards to cover all three exits. If she acted quickly, maybe she would get lucky. Doing a double-take, Nariko realized that if she was lucky, she wouldn't be in this mess right now. Throwing luck out of the equation didn't leave her much. Would they expect her to avoid the larger crowd at the eastern end of Luin? Or would they think she could try to blend in and slip away? She was unsure on which route her tails had taken on their wild-goose chase, but she was positive she couldn't risk being held up by running into them again. When strategy came into play, she found the most important aspect was decision making. Keeping in mind that she was losing valuable time, she gave up on contemplating which outlet was the smartest choice and picked a road at random. Luck might have to do for now. Encouraging, wasn't it?

Despite her situation, Nariko smirked at the irony. Like they could take her anyway. She knew she was only sixteen, and lacked what some of her teachers would call 'experience', but she recognized that her skill was undeniable. Or was that just arrogance? She hardly cared after all, if it was over-confidence it would end up hurting her, but if it was confidence that was rightly placed, there wouldn't be any consequences. She learned by trial and error, so she was gaining 'experience', right?

But she admitted that she wasn't lucky. Blocking the end of her path stood five armed guards from the Church. They already had spotted her. Leaning forward in anticipation, she drew her swords as they called out to each other in warning. She'd have to fight this time.

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**(A/N) So that's the first chapter... Yes I know it's a cliff hanger, but I'll upload the next one right away! Please tell me what you think, criticisms and plot ideas are excellent, thought I kind of already know where I'm going with this... I appreciate anyone who took the time to read it, as this is the first document I've posted online. XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Enjoy Chapter 2! If you didn't already figure it out, Akane is in Tethe'alla, and Nariko is in Sylvarant, but right now Sylvarant is flourishing and Tethe'alla is declining. Makes you think a little bit, I hope!**

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**Chapter 2: Escaped to Nowhere**

Akane sprinted through the Gaoracchhia forest, giving up on her stealthy tread. She knew there was something on her tail, but she didn't have time to turn and check. Whatever it was, it was huge and made strident crashing noises through the brush behind her. And it seemed to be closing in. She knew there were rumors that these woods were haunted, but she always thought that it was just childish superstition. Akane had to admit that the trees blocking the light and the sinister-looking vines gave the place a rather eerie feel, but haunted? Come on. Boy was she eating her words now.

The woods were getting too thick to travel through, the gnarled roots snagged on the toes of her boots and slowed her down, while the thorny shrubberies seemed to creep out of nowhere into her path. The area itself seemed to be trying to surrender her to the thing that was pursuing. It was early dawn, and only dim beams of light broke occasionally in between the thick foliage. Other than that, the entire forest still seemed to be engulfed in an eternal night. She figured she could turn and face the monster chasing her, and her chances wouldn't be too bad. At least she wasn't being chased by those Desians again, rediscovery by them would be incredibly inconvenient for travel. Before tiring herself out any further, Akane spun to a stop behind a thick oak and drew her sword. Hopefully, surprise would be on her side. It wouldn't be expecting an ambush from its supposed prey.

She waited, which was unsettling because of the clamorous footsteps that got nearer and nearer. Within a good twenty seconds, it broke out into the small clearing and snapped several branches that were obstructing her view.

She was so in over her head.

The monster, well it was about as close to the average monster as a tiger was to a kitten, easily cleared twenty feet. It was an enormous skeleton with horns branching off of its head and a dinosaur like tail, blackened with death and decomposition or dark magic, she didn't know which. However, the things that chilled her the most were the two scythe-like blades that were about as wide as the tree she was hiding behind and seemingly razor-sharp. Its joints creaked with the strain of its weight and cavernous eye sockets bore into its victims menacingly. The lack of skin covering the skull made it look like it had a deranged grin with its exposed teeth. She didn't know what it was, but somehow it knew she was there.  
"I CHALLENGE THOSE WHO ARE STRONG." It rasped in a voice so low that it sounded like a growl, "FIGHT ME." With a sound like nails on a chalkboard, it drew its scythes and charged at her, slower than most opponents, but big enough to kill with a single blow of the deadly sharp metal. Akane was a bit in shock that it spoke, but she didn't have the luxury of time to contemplate its vocal mechanisms. Her fighting reflexes kicked in, and she dodged swiftly to the side. While doing her best to keep clear of its wide swings, she searched for its vital points. Something she could land a solid hit on would have been obvious enough, but the darn thing was a SKELETON. How the heck was she supposed to kill something that was undead?

She hadn't spent much time training in her mana usage, though even she could tell that the Skeleton radiated evil dark mana. Being this close to it was suffocating. So light would help her, right? That was something to work with at least. She slipped under another strike so close that it whistled past her ear and ducked between the bony legs of the monster. She was agile and quick, so as long as her speed didn't fail her, she should have the upper-hand. Slashing at the spinal cord, she jabbed her blade right between the vertebrae, but her sword clashed off harmlessly. Joints were the weakest, and the fact that it did little to no damage disheartened her. Buying time was her best option. She was lucky that the sun was rising higher with each passing second; hopefully the monster would be crippled in the light. The canopy blocked most of the morning rays from their battleground, so Akane didn't find it hard to believe that the Skeleton lived here regularly. Well 'lived' since it was already dead; it was relatively dark here, even at the height of the afternoon. She'd have to do something about those trees obstructing her precious light. She jumped back a few yards from the backside of the beast, giving her time to cast one of her few spells. As a bonus, she hoped it had a better effect than her blade on the armor-like bones of the skeleton.

Akane concentrated her mana on her finger tips, pressing the flat of her blade against her other palm. Her hands grew hotter, but she was used to the temperature. By now the creature had made its slow turn and was lumbering toward her quicker than before, but still a few seconds off. She willed her magic to work faster, an intricate red spell circle glowed around her feet and the air's scent sharply changed to a burning smell, like a campfire. The air in front of her grew scathingly hot, so much so that it looked like the air itself caught fire as a screaming inferno. The Skeleton Dancer was two steps away. She directed the flames forward with as much power as she could muster, and then bent them up to the foliage blocking the sun.

"Flame Lance!" Akane yelled, triggering her mana inside the flames to combust further and explode. The flames propelled themselves past the Skeleton's head, charring the skull, and caught on the canopy were they completely imploded.

The monster halted abruptly as the open sky above shattered the darkness. Light poured down, and Akane noted with satisfaction that the leaves caught flame and spread quickly across the adjacent areas, shedding light on the desolate forest floor. The place looked a lot less disturbing in the brighter setting, the plant life almost shrunk from the light as if it singed. As for her opponent, it seemed to grow transparent, the longer it was exposed it began to fade into the air. The consistency of the bones looked wispier than before, when they had been all but impenetrable. Akane charged forward, putting all her power into the final blow. But she ran right through it. Turning around in confusion, she saw the beast fading into the light, hissing slightly as it disappeared.  
"IT IS NOT OVER" It growled angrily, "I WILL AWAIT YOU WHEN THE DARK RETURNS" It's voice grated against her ears, but grew more distant until the rasps of its breathing were gone and nothing aside from a brutal battlefield was left to signify its passage.

Akane sighed in relief, and bent down to catch her breath. She put a lot of her mana into that Flame Lance and she wasn't use to expending so much so quickly. Not many teachers in Mizuho had the ability to cast magic, so it was one of her more underdeveloped skills. The bit of elven blood from her father's side was so far down the family tree, that they had been genuinely surprised that she could manipulate her mana for spells at all. She was grateful that it gave her an edge, if not for her magic, she might've died. But if it were nighttime, she wouldn't have been able to hold out either. Akane put light spells on her mental list of things to learn.

She was proud that she held her own, but it also scared her a little. Who knew that something so wicked lurked right outside her hometown village of Mizuho? All of the times she snuck out as a child and all of the times girls and boys ignorantly played in the woods could've been fatal encounters. There was no way that she would've had the skill to handle that thing even a year ago. Perhaps the myths surrounding the Gaoracchhia forest were supplied to keep travelers out, but nevertheless she had to keep moving. Any person within a mile or two around should have heard the fight and the flames could be seen for even further. Akane figured Ozette would be her best choice to lay low in until she composed her plans. It was a small town hidden in the forest like Mizuho, and the Desians usually stayed clear, perfect in Akane's case. She looked up at the now brilliant sky and got her bearings. She'd put a fair distance between herself and this place in no time.

* * *

Nariko dragged the bodies of the five young guards across the path and hid them behind several bushes near the outskirts of the city. They were far too easy to take out, and her teachers had called her inexperienced. Hah. It only took a couple of well placed kicks and hilt-jabs from her swords to knock them out. They didn't even coordinate with each other, just aimlessly stuck their short swords in her way, only to be deflected and off-balanced. No one should find them back here; hardly anyone uses this entrance to Luin, so they would have to go alert the Church after they woke up. That wouldn't be anytime soon, Nariko smirked. They would have some killer headaches in the morning.

Now, as to the problem of where she was going. Any locations where the Church of Martel was prominent would be off-limits for now. Maybe Hima? It was quite a distance away, but she could probably make it in a day or two, mountains were a perfect hiding place after all, and she moved fast. She couldn't hide forever though. While staying under the radar temporarily might benefit her, she wasn't sure how committed the Church of Martel was to finding her. It couldn't be that bad, really, could it? Ah well, Nariko set course for Hima, while mulling over her thoughts. She couldn't fathom what the big secret was. Curiosity shouldn't be frowned upon in a world where technological advancements were peaking and knowledge was becoming more and more widespread. Or was it? The Church always preached that sort of thing, that the world was flourishing and we were learning more and more every day. Somehow, Nariko didn't buy it, if they were learning so much, then how come no one could remember who sided with who in the Kharlan war just about 1000 years ago, or where magitechnology had gone, or those myths about the giant tree. Just the first one should have a simple answer, right? It's not like the enemy just disappeared off of the face of the planet, after all a thousand years wasn't that long. The world was forgetting, not learning, Nariko was sure. So why didn't anybody else see? It must be some sort of conspiracy, and the Church was definitely at the heart of it. Why else would they attempt to kill someone of their own organization just for asking a few measly questions? And don't even get her started on the organization. The whole thing about a 'Chosen' releasing the seals- why would that make the world rich with mana, where would they get it from? Too many questions. Nariko laughed at herself, she was such a hypocrite.

Just a year ago, she wouldn't hesitate to confirm any of the ideas that she had just written off. After all, being trained to protect the next Chosen was a very important job. There were about ten of them trained since birth to ensure that the next Chosen was able to complete their duties in an effort to keep the world from sinking back into a decline. History states that Desians just 'appear' whenever mana becomes scarce or something like that. Though history hasn't been very accurate as of late, you tend to believe what you're raised with. Nobody wanted these bad guys to show up again and cause trouble, though Nariko was having serious doubts that they even existed. So she went about being trained, hoping that she could be the one to help the Chosen of Regeneration should the time come. Not to toot her own horn or anything, but she was good. So why did they disavow her? Nariko somehow kept coming back to that question. Didn't they say they needed her? That her role would be one of the most important missions in all of history? No wonder that they call her arrogant after filling her mind with all of that fluff. Ridiculous, then they just go and try to get rid of her because she didn't turn out quite right. It's sad really. Especially that they thought they could kill her right after they gave her all that 'special' training. She knew her way around, and she had something that they seemed to need pretty badly. Maybe that was the reason they were so intent on catching her. Now, she'd probably do just about anything to get to the bottom of what was going on.

Reaching down into one of her pockets, Nariko's fingers closed around a cool, hard object, no longer than an inch. She pulled it out to catch the light as she walked. Flashing a deep red, it was a smooth stone, polished and cut into a diamond shape. Something about it was… different, but Nariko couldn't put a finger on it. It felt powerful, but it was just a rock. Nariko heard the priests calling it a 'Cruxis Crystal'. If it was a Cruxis Crystal, the Cruxis Crystal, then there was a serious flaw in their system. It had long been told that the Chosen of Mana would be born in the coming year, and that the 'Chosen' would be birthed with a Cruxis Crystal in its hand. The Church then takes the Crystal and keeps it safely sealing the oracle until the Chosen is brought up learning her role. If that was it, then it would be no problem for Nariko to have found a Cruxis Crystal locked up in a certain "off-limits" room in the larger chapel in Palmacosta, Sylvarant's capital.

But the Chosen hadn't been born yet.

So if that was a lie, then what else was? Why would they feel the need to twist something as simple as 'The angels bestowed the Cruxis Crystal upon the Church of Martel for the Chosen's safekeeping' or something of that sort? Nariko was getting fed up with the pitiful excuses for lies; honestly, she could have done a much better job faking all this holiness.  
So, like any good trainee, Nariko had politely asked the same Priest who had referred to the Cruxis Crystal while Nariko had overheard for clarification on what it was. We'll say 'overheard' instead of eavesdropped because it sounds nicer. He just acted like he didn't know what she was on about, denying everything. Jerk. Next thing you know, everybody was out to kill her, spouting off nonsense about being disavowed and sentenced to death for some traitorous act that she couldn't remember. She might not have been listening at that point, she wasn't sure. So here she was, out to figure out if she should even be on the Church's side. That was looking like a definite 'no' right now.

Nariko sighed as she walked; thinking these things out only got her more frustrated. Checking her surroundings, she was a little bit surprised with the lack of monsters. Since the world was rich with mana, monsters were less and less frequent, but she had been walking a long time without seeing a single one. Something was up. She couldn't usually afford to daydream while walking, it was far too dangerous. The sun was setting low on the horizon, obscured by the tall mountain range in the distance. A reddish light was cast across the ground from the sunset, giving long slanting silhouettes to the occasional trees on the hilly terrain. Nariko wasn't sure if she should bother setting up a camp tonight, if the Church was searching the immediate vicinity of Luin, then she should keep going until daybreak. Fire was out of the question with anyone after her, but that would be okay since it wasn't too far into autumn. There was no doubt that monsters would surface at nighttime, which at least would probably never change. So travel through the night was her only viable option. She quickened her pace.

She hoped the Church knew who they were dealing with.

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**(A/N) So Chapter 2 is up, I had these prewritten, so updates will be slower... Please Read and Review! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Yea guys, guess who finally shows up? Hopefully you called it: it's Kratos and Yuan! Of course our fav OCs will have their bits too. Read and tell me whatcha think!**

**Disclaimer: ...You don't own it, I don't own it. But since we both want to, don't sue me for using the world just a teensy bit. Please.**

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**Chapter 3: Misplaced**

Akane found her way to Ozette promptly before nightfall. The whole village was modeled to resemble a giant tree, camouflaging into the forest nicely and not very large at that, but it was also dreary. An air of harshness lingered stuffily in the town, as if no one was ever joyful. That was as much as Akane got out of it, the people seemed normal enough, but it wasn't as if she actually talked to any of them. Desians tended to stay away from the place; it was isolated in comparison to the larger, more enticing cities like Meltokio. Akane took a look at the quiet town, while it didn't have much to speak of, there was a small inn for her to rest at and formulate a plan. She was definitely the kind of person who likes plans, and being without one at the present time was driving her crazy. There wasn't much of an option to do anything but hide. Akane hated hiding just as much as not having a plan, though, so even idiotic options were still options.

Being a rather strong fighter gave her speed, and she doubted if any Desian group could travel large distances as fast as she could, but she needed somewhere to go. Her information revealed enormous flaws in the Desian system, but to exploit those flaws she could hardly go alone. If anyone got word that they were after her, shed have zero chance of getting support. That was how skittish the people of Tethe'alla were, and with an exception to Mizuho, they were scared sick by the Human Ranches that had sprout up around villages in the last decade. Their docile, indifferent attitudes towards suffering made Akane want to puke, it was so revolting. How did only one town want to fight these people? Instead they turn to religion, counting on a single person to save the entirety of the world. It was so ridiculous, and there was no wonder the last chosen met a terrible death to the very first summon spirit. People gladly offer gifts and praise, but no assistance. The way this world worked seemed centered to cut the individual of from the group in order to keep them separate. The Desians did their job well enough to keep that true.

Where to go and what to do. Her objectives. Stopping the Desians. Her goal. How to do it, still not yet revealed. It was going to be a long night figuring it out with such a slow start.

* * *

Hima, the city on the cliffs. It was beautifully quiet and solitary, and Nariko liked solitary. The town really only had one inn and diner, so few people lived there. The view was breathtaking enough to not have to share it with anyone, though, and Nariko did most things on her own any way. It was easier to not have to deal with testy personalities; she ended up telling them whatever made them shut up fastest. Facades were not really her style, but she wouldn't form connections with people that she hardly wanted to acknowledge as acquaintances, so they were necessary in her previous line of work. For training, the Church would assign a single mission to a few of the selected trainees, and whoever completed it the quickest would rise to the next level, and Nariko was the highest ranked among them all. Which made the disavowing even more discouraging. She was their top student, so for them to take the actions they had, the conspiracy had to outweigh her usefulness.

She was pretty damn useful.  
And didn't like the sound of all those secrets piling up on the proverbial scale.

Glancing about the rugged cliff she decided to occupy, it seemed apt to watch the sunset, as reddish orange streaks of light cast spectacularly from the West. Nature was much simpler to deal with in comparison to people, Nariko ruminated silently. She could handle this alone, and she would. If any one person could take down the Church, it would be her. The challenge of the idea was thrilling, and call her crazy, it was going to be fun.

* * *

Kratos Aurion was getting fed up with Mithos. Or 'Lord Yggdrasill' as he recently decided he wanted to be called, though Kratos scoffed at the title. But because he was Kratos, and not somebody else, the only sign of irritation was the occasional eye twitch at another of his old companion's ridiculous demands. It seemed that Mithos was slowly going mad, or quickly depending on how one looked at the situation. Either way, with the power of all the summon spirits, that meant bad news for the worlds of Symphonia, or rather the peoples of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant now. Reason simply would not work anymore with Mithos like it used to, he was so warped with the grief of losing Martel, but weren't they all?

It didn't warrant this action though. He was spending time as he now often did, watching the sky from his balcony on Derris Kharlan. An eternal night spectacularly lit with trillions of stars splayed some meager light upon the barren landscape, and dull buildings of Welgaia. He found himself more and more often in this spot, trying to pinpoint exactly when it was that it all went wrong. He needed to fix the issue, but Kratos was nothing if not loyal to his few friends. Mithos was his responsibility to train, and at most times protect, he was an apprentice, and almost like a son, so he felt such an obligation to this man stuck in boyhood forever. He would be craven to leave his once-friend as soon as misfortune changed him. A sliver of hope was kept alive that the old Mithos might return as soon as Martel was revived, and he held on to that.

_But at what cost?_ The thought hung emptily in the forefront of his mind as a soft knock at the door sounded. Any noise seemed too loud and out of place on the planet where only three people could think. Which told Kratos that Yuan was on the other side. Mithos hardly left his fortress these days, and the mindless dolls he'd begun to fill the planet with had no need to knock.

"Come in Yuan," he called without breaking his gaze from the sky. A metallic whoosh told him the door was opened and Yuan's confident tread echoed loudly on the floors.

"How do you do that again? Or were you expecting my surprise visit." He spoke more in greeting rather than questioned.

"It's getting easier as most people have lost their mental faculties." Kratos returned the greeting, still monotonously keeping any tell of emotion from his voice. Yuan was always perceptive, and somehow his behavior was becoming more suspicious and detached. Without Martel to hold the group together, the previously best friends hardly spoke anymore, at least in their old light-hearted manner.

"And for what do I owe this honor?" Kratos asked without a hint of real curiosity in his voice.

"Lord Yggdrasill summons thee" Yuan mocked, while swishing his cape back in a flourish and making his voice sound more low and demanding.

Kratos rolled his eyes at Yuan's antics. He would never understand that cape that Yuan was so attached to, though his Mithos impression _was_ spot on.

"Regarding what, exactly?" Kratos didn't much feel like visiting the short tempered kid at the moment.

"Didn't say, _but_ more importantly, he wants you to bring the snacks" Yuan remarked with a straight face. Kratos didn't so much as twitch this time. Why was Yuan so happy today? Yuan's eyes were flashing mischievously, as if he were up to something and he wanted Kratos to ask what it was. But, Kratos didn't really care, to be honest, so he ignored Yuan as if he hadn't said anything, and made his way to the open door. The man was really beginning to pester him from time to time, as if his purpose in life was to crack jokes. It was already unusual for Yuan to do such things, but he'd been more excited today than before. Something was up with him, anyway. Kratos passed Yuan on his way out. It was better off not to ask him.

Walking into Mithos' huge chamber, Kratos couldn't help but get caught up in how gaudy it was. The peculiar luxuries and grotesque displays of power belonged only in a medieval world of kings and queens, rather than real life. Perhaps the strangest of Mithos' fancies was his incredibly large throne chair, far too big for even his 'grown' self to occupy comfortably. His sure-footed steps rang hollowly in the large room, absent of any other sound save soft breathing, which was only discernible due to his angelic hearing. It was true that he could have deployed his mana wings and flew, but he really didn't care for them. They were a symbol of what he had become, and what he really despised. It only reminded him of what once was. It wasn't as terrible as it sounded, he'd just prefer to walk.

Mithos was lounging in his throne again, as if simply sitting in that location made his life complete. In fact, Kratos couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd left that spot. Mithos looked up languidly, implying the preposterous concept that he didn't hear Kratos coming.

"Kratos, I'm glad you could come." He said in his strangely childish manner. As if he had any other choice. Kratos didn't respond to this formality, and Mithos picked back up the conversation without missing a beat.

"I need you to take care of a small problem down in Sylvarant for me," he began dryly, "You see, the idiotic priests that we put into place in Luin let the next Chosen's Cruxis Crystal get_ misplaced_." The stress on the word 'misplaced' was just another one of his obvious euphemisms that Kratos was learning to detest. Kratos humored him.

"Misplaced?" He questioned, though he already knew the answer.

"They were careless, and allowed it to be discovered, and promptly stolen!" Mithos grew flustered, "All that work that went into perfecting Martel's new Cruxis Crystal, too! It would've been an exact mana signature match, better than yours or mine. I need you to go find it, otherwise we'd be way behind by the time the next Chosen is born. I need _that_ one, you see." Mithos was explaining.

It seemed Mithos wanted him to do some menial labor, what was the point any more?

"Very well." Kratos turned to leave. It would be good to descend back upon Sylvarant, among a living planet, with thinking people. He just needed to clear his mind and find the simple solution.

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**(A/N) Yup. Sorry if it's a little Kratos-centric. He's my favorite. And if Yuan's a bit OOC, I'll fix it later, he's just finally happy to be doing something productive after getting sick of Yggy... you know like maybe... founding the Renegades? Please review! It'd mean a lot! XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N) Some more Yuan and Kratos in this chapter... Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ... yea, well, you get it.**

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**Chapter 4: Renegades**

Yuan narrowed his eyes as Kratos left. The man couldn't take a hint, or rather _wouldn't_ take one. It pained Yuan to see his old friend so depressed all the time, well it might've been depressed. With Kratos you never really can tell, he was even like that before the angelic transformation. Forcing himself to accept that Kratos didn't want to be included on his new project, Yuan left Kratos' quarters and headed for the warp pad. Since Mithos was still oblivious to his coming and going, he'd take advantage of it while he could. This chosen ritual had gone on long enough. He should know just as well as Mithos that there was no bringing Martel back. She would never have supported the methods the 'new' Mithos uses to achieve his goals. Hell, if Yuan could get over it, Mithos should be able to. There was not a person among the divided worlds, or Derris Kharlan for that matter, that could call Yuan stupid, and he knew that confronting Mithos directly would be suicide. It was clear from the beginning that Mithos disliked him for his relationship with his sister, and he never really got over that. Yuan was actually thankful for this fact, it meant that Mithos wouldn't call upon him as often as he did Kratos, and down time is exactly what he needed to put his affairs into place. To be quite honest with himself, he had given Mithos a chance, but maybe he just wasn't as attached to the old Mithos as Kratos was. Somehow, he was okay with giving up on the kid, he had ruined one world too many with his juvenile rituals.

The suffering of the declining world was going to come to an end if Yuan had anything to say about it. In fact, he had already begun putting his plans into action. He had just reached the warp pad, a round crystalline structure powered by magi-technology. Finally, the ugly city-scape of Welgaia began to blur into a deep gray memory, and was replaced by the lively vegetation of Tethe'alla and the chirping of birds.

Yuan reveled in the contrast between the two places. How could anyone in their right mind want to live on Derris Kharlan? He understood why the elves left, his ancestors must have been just as sickened by the dreariness. Despite that, he started in a brisk walk towards his new base of operations near the Temple of Lightning. The warp pad always brought him down in the location that the Tower of Salvation would appear, as soon as the next Chosen was born. It was hard for the people of Tethe'alla, the last few Chosen had met horrific deaths early on in their journeys.

Now that he thought of it, it might be best for him to search for followers in Mizuho. He usually only admitted half-elves, but the people of Mizuho were strong and independent, and the only town secretly committed to opposing the Desians. And they were on the way to the Temple of Lightning. The village was hidden in a large clearing of the Gaoracchia forest, and Cruxis largely ignored them, as a minor threat if that. Yuan was short on half-elves that wanted to help, so perhaps a few ninja might join his new organization. Still playing with names, he was partial towards the title 'Renegades', but that wasn't the important thing. The important thing was taking down Cruxis, from the inside if necessary. That was why he wanted to give Kratos some warning, or at least a choice. He was his best friend from the beginning, but if he sided with Cruxis, they would have to part ways, because in Yuan's eyes, some things were more important than friendship. He wasn't sure if Kratos even still considered them friends any more, anyway.

He was coming up on the clearing where he knew Mizuho was, but when he reached it, it simply_ wasn't_. The clearing, once clustered with small wooden houses, was barren, the places where houses might've been were bare patches of dirt. Otherwise, there wasn't a trace of human habitation, not a doll, or a pathway, or even a human footprint. Yuan looked around in some surprise. It was clear that it wasn't the Desians who did this, but of the peoples' own will. No Desian group would be this thorough, this exact with their orders. For some reason or another the people of Mizuho thought it necessary to relocate, and recently. Yuan was fairly certain that their location had remained secret, except for him of course. He made it his business to know everyone else's. They must've been scared enough to uproot their village and move to a different secluded location. Their only enemies were the Desians, so Yuan could only conclude that some very recent event had resulted in a particularly high level of Desian attention in this region. Whatever the reason, he could no longer find followers here to join his ranks. He would locate Mizuho another day, but for now they remained incognito to all.

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Nariko sat at the diner, contemplating her next actions. The people here were nice and quiet, and didn't make any attempts at small talk. It was good for thinking. Sitting at one of the solid wooden tables, nursing a drink, she wasn't sure where to go next. She was itching for a challenge, it all seemed like a complicated game. Whatever was going on, and something most definitely was, she needed to figure out exactly what that was. Her best shot was probably the Tower of Salvation. It was rarely visited by members of the Church of Martel, only a final destination for the Chosen's Journey. It was actually recommended that people steer clear of the region, so as not to disrupt the mana flow. That in itself seemed fishy. If there was something up, that was an optimum location for her to start with, and why would the Church expect her to go anywhere Church-related? She prized herself on being unpredictable. Standing up from her table, she left a few Gald for the drink and pushed in her chair. She was the only customer in the small restaurant, but as she walked towards the exit of the establishment, the old door swung open and rang the bell loudly.

A tall man with spiky auburn hair walked in with confident strides. He wore a mostly white outfit, crisscrossed with dark belts, and his right hand rested on a single sheathed sword. Nothing about him screamed 'Church' to her, but appearances could be deceiving. He looked to be the mercenary-type, Nariko figured. If she wanted to keep a low profile, she'd best avoid anyone who travels too much that could give away her location. Letting her short black locks fall in front of her face, she made her way to the door, and passed by the traveler on the way out. He glanced up at her, inquisitively, and somehow she felt unsettled, as if he could recognize her, though she was positive she'd never met him. So what if he could, she mused silently, she had never been bested by a single opponent anyway, and she'd be long gone by the time he called for the Church guards if it came to that. Pushing the door open solidly, the bell rang a second time, and she didn't rush to leave. It would only look suspicious if she ran out.

As soon as the door was shut, though, she broke off running. Something about that man gave her the feeling that pursuers wouldn't be that far behind. She hoped it was just a hunch.

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Kratos decided to rest a day at Hima, after procuring the information from the rather flustered priests about the thief. It was amusing to see the ways in which they would throw each other under the bus in order to get into his good graces. Apparently, a young girl in the Church's training program had 'found' the Cruxis Crystal. It seemed as if she was seeing the Church for the scam it really was, and all Kratos got was a description and name. Her name was Nariko, she was about sixteen, average height, short black hair, and she was their best fighter yet. Unfortunately, she had escaped their perimeter at Luin and could be just about anywhere. Kratos hated to go on wild goose chases, but chasing after a child was possibly the most ridiculous job he'd had yet. He'd find her eventually, but wasn't in any particular rush to do it. Sylvarant was beautiful when it was flourishing. Even the areas that were sparsely populated, like the mountainous regions of Hima had splendid views.

The walk hadn't taken longer than a day from the Tower of Salvation, where the priests had met him to divulge their information. Despite his relatively quick pace, he wasn't actually that tired. So stopping at the inn and diner was more to keep up appearances of needing to sleep and eat, than real necessity. News of a traveler that never checked into the one hotel was bound to raise a few eyebrows, and Kratos preferred to be ignored. He could always skip out on hotels in the larger cities, like Asgard and Palmacosta, but never in Hima. He liked the town nevertheless. Something about the quiet. He was glad that he checked in though, coincidentally, a girl matching the exact description of Nariko was just leaving. He expected a look of a deer caught in the headlights, someone skittish and ready to bolt at the sign of another armed person. She met his gaze evenly enough, and calmly walked out the door. His job would be done quickly enough, though that was a bit depressing. Returning to Welgaia was not at the top of his to-do list. He couldn't simply ignore the fact that the Cruxis Crystal just walked out of the diner though. Maybe things would get interesting, but nothing was ever interesting anymore. He'd pretty much seen it all in the past thousand years. It occurred to him to check the inn's check-in on the off-chance of confirming that it was the girl he was supposed to be tracking down. Anyone with any intelligence would never sign their own name, so it was a small probability if that. Walking to the back of the room, a woman in her thirties was washing dishes.

"Excuse me, but may I see your log of people who checked in recently?" He asked dryly. The woman looked surprised, but dried her hands on a towel. Leaning down behind the counter she pulled out a thick ledger and dropped it on the counter unceremoniously.

"Sure," she said pleasantly enough, and flipped the book open about half-way. Kratos leaned to look over the last few names.

Smith, Hitusi, Okiran were the three most recent. Kratos sighed on the last name, but checked it once more over. It was Nariko backwards.

Cocky brat.

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**(A/N) Wrote this chapter while listening to 'Renegade' by Manafest, don't know how that would matter, but please Review! XD**


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